HERALD. BRITAIN FERRÉ (Julien). ARMORIAL DE BRETAGNE... Lot 15

[HERALD]. [BRITAIN] [FERRÉ (Julien)]. ARMORIAL DE BRETAGNE [A Rennes, chez Jullien Ferré libraire dans la Gallerie du Pallais. 1651] In French, illuminated manuscript on paper France, Brittany, around the middle of the 17th century (after 1651) With 321 painted shields (gouache and tempera) accompanied by a handwritten blazon Large in-4, 84 ff. (of which the last three leaves provide empty tracings of shields), preceded by a blank endpaper and followed by two blank endpapers, cursive writing in red and brown ink (names of families written in red, legend with blazon in brown ink). Bound in full leather, spine with 4 nerves with lettering "Armorial", double framing of cold filets on the boards, in the center of the upper board "Armorial of Brittany" in black letters and coat of arms of Brittany in black [note that these coats of arms are also those retained as a typographic mark by Julien Ferré, printer]. Size of the leaves : 174 x 280 ; size of the binding : 185 x 286 mm. Manuscript armorial proposed by Julien Ferré, printer-librarian but also painter-heraldist established in Rennes since 1650. Firmly established in Brittany, first in Rennes, Julien Ferré left Rennes in 1875 for Vannes where he was active from 1679 to 1681. In 1678, he was also in Rennes because he was among the masters who participated in the Parliament of Brittany in the registration of the letters patent granted by the King to the community of printers and booksellers of the city of Rennes. Ferré is also listed as a herald painter. A related manuscript is known to be kept in Rennes, Bibliothèque Les Champs libres, MS 522 (dated 1650): a note indicates "these are coats of arms painted by the same Julien Ferré who had a kind of talent for this kind of work". It is quite possible that Julien Ferré offered his clients a "luxurious" or personalized handwritten version of his Breton Armorial, for clients still sensitive to the great handwritten heraldic tradition. In addition, he prepared the printing of the work that was to appear shortly thereafter, namely Guy Le Borgne (1620-1671), Armorial breton, contenant par ordre alphabétique et méthodique, les noms, qualitez, armes & blasons des nobles, annoblis & tenans terres & fiefs nobles ez eveschez de Treguier, & de Leon..., Rennes, 1667 (see copy Paris, Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, 4-H-7166; Bergevin (ed.). Armorial Breton de Guy Le Borgne published in Rennes in 1667. Reprinted in facsimile..., Saint-Brieuc, 1902. Note that a similar manuscript was sold from the former Saffroy collection (May 21, 2021) with a similar dating, layout and calligraphy: "List of the names of arms and lordship of gentlemen of the Court of the Parliament of Brittany in the order of their receptions. A Rennes, chez Jullien Ferré libraire dans la gallerie du Pallais, 1651". It should be noted that this copy is certainly related to the de l'Espinay family whose coat of arms is found on fol. 27. A leaf from another older manuscript is inserted in the seam (fol. 3 and fol. 3v) and serves as a kind of frontispiece after the first preliminary leaves giving heraldic elements (furs, metals and colors) and four large shields (France, Navarre, Brittany, Rennes). On the recto, four shields: Espinay pleines; Espinay E. de Dol; Espinay la Marche; Espinay Broon. On the back, a cartouche with the following inscription: "The genealogy of the Illustrious house of Espinay with some others of which those of this ancient family are allied like those of the Barons of Mathefelon, of the Rochfoucault, of the Chabots, Partenay...and mainly of Hault and powerful François d "Escepeualx lord of Vieilleville...mareschal of France and governor of Metz and Pais Messin, Bar. [signed] Richard Beaujouan, presbtre 1602 ". Ex-libris inscription on the front of the first endpaper: "La Luandiere (?) 1834".